Didn't go to Pakistan to have lunch, says miffed Rajnath

Fri, Aug 05, 2016, 01:11 PM

New Delhi, Aug 5: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday made it clear that he was not treated well in Pakistan, confirming that he skipped a lunch hosted by his counterpart during a meeting of Saarc ministers.

"It is true that Pakistan Interior Minister (Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan) invited everyone for lunch. But then he left in his car. I also left. I have no complaints or grudges as I had not gone there to have lunch," Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha.

The minister spoke a day after he returned after a two-day Pakistan visit during which he attended a meeting of interior ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

The minister said the Indian media accompanying him was not allowed in when he was making the speech on terrorism at the conference.

"But as far as the reported blacking out of my speech is concerned, I am not aware of protocol norms followed during previous events. Will have to speak to the Ministry of External Affairs on that."

He said he won't comment if Pakistan was right or wrong in not allowing the coverage.

"I don't know if it was a precedent. I cannot say anything about that. But they did whatever they could,"